Federal funding for child care is approaching a critical deadline — Sept. 30 will mark the expiration of American Rescue Plan funding that has assisted day care facilities, workers and parents that use their services.
Originally passed in 2021, the pandemic-era legislation had $24 billion dollars set aside for child care, $314 million of which was distributed in Massachusetts. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows 2,440 child care centers and 4,090 child care family homes in the Bay State utilized those funds to pay for personnel costs, keeping programs staffed, rent and mortgage payments.
"That expires at the end of September," said Rep. Katherine Clark, the House minority whip, in an interview. "That means, for families, tuition could be back on the rise, child care that is already hard to find could be harder to find and it would take away critical support for providers."
To meet that need, Clark, D-Mass., is partnering with Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., to introduce the Childcare Stabilization Act. The proposed legislation outlines the need for more child care services in underserved communities, better pay for industry workers and sustained funding from the federal government to enable parents to remain in the workforce.
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"This bill will do $16 billion dollars a year for the next five years to ensure we don't lose ground," Clark said.
But gaining support from Republicans could prove difficult.
At a recent roundtable event in Medford, a group of local mothers asked the congresswoman if GOP members in the House would provide any votes for the bill. Clark listed off several other pieces of legislation that have received zero votes from Republicans, but added that child care should be an issue to rally around for all parties.
"This isn't an issue that should be political," said Clark, "this is fundamental to make sure our economy is working for people at home."
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Votes in the House aren't the only challenge.
Congress is also grappling with the threat of another government shutdown that just happens to share the same Sept. 30 deadline as child care funding.
"We have 11 legislative days to get to work and what I'm hearing from my colleagues on the other side is they don't think a shutdown is a big deal. It's a big deal when parents are trying to find child care," Clark said.
Those words may ring true for the parents in Massachusetts who are constantly being shuffled between different child care centers and facing a variety of different price points.
"It was $600 at the first place, $480 at the second and now it's $80 a day!" said one Medford mother.
Clark said those numbers show how great the need is across the country and here in the Bay State.
"Massachusetts has done a great job of managing this but in general we do have very high child care costs, so let's help in every way we can," she said.
Stay with NBC 10 Boston as we track the progress of the Childcare Stabilization Act and efforts by Congress to avoid a government shutdown.
